Label dispensers



6, 1970 s. a ANDERSSON 3,487,977

LABEL DISPENSERS Filed Oct. 18, 1966 Fig.1

United States Patent 3,487,977 LABEL DISPENSERS Gustav Bertil Andersson, Johannesbundsvagen 26, Spanga, Sweden Filed Oct. 18, 1966, Ser. No. 587,481

Claims priority, application Sweden, Nov. 26, 1965,

Int. Cl. B65h 5/28 US. Cl. 221-73 5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The present invention relates to a label dispenser for advancing self-adhesive labels situated on a tape-like carrier and sticking said labels onto objects.

To methods for price marking goods in stores, shops and warehouses, etc., with self-adhesive labels have been utilized in the past. One of these methods involves the use of a single mobile apparatus for printing labels and transferring the printed labels directly to an object being priced. Obviously, such apparatus was relatively technically complicated since it included both a printing apparatus and a dispenser. This system, which has been the most rapid for marking goods in short series, has a number of disadvantages, which are mainly that:

(l) The apparatuses are expensive and furthermore several apparatuses are usually required since only one person at a time can use an apparatus of this type for marking; and

(2) Service and repair costs are high, partly due to the complicated construction of the apparatus and partly due to the fact that it is portable and thus easily subjected to external damage, by being dropped to the floor for instance.

The other method, which has been the most popular, utilizes one or more stationary type printing apparatuses of an extremely simple and robust construction. The primary disadvantage with this system, however, is that the apparatus only prints the price on the label while transfer of the label from the apparatus to the object must be done manually. Manifestly, this transferring operation has been time consuming.

The present invention provides a label dispenser for manual use, whereby labels can be rapidly and effectively transferred to different objects. The label dispenser according to the invention is simple in construction and free from moving parts, and can thus be manufactured at a very low price and, furthermore, needs no maintenance. Consequently, shop personnel or the like can each be equipped with a dispenser and a common single purpose printing apparatus may be utilized. Furthermore, the apparatus of the invention is very simple to use and thus marking can be effected rapidly by unskilled personnel. Practical tests have shown that the speed at which marking takes place when using this system is much greater than when using an apparatus which functions both as a printing apparatus and dispenser. The apparatus according to the invention is designed as an implement "ice which can be held in the hand. In its broadest aspects, the apparatus comprises a guide chute including an elongated slide surface for the strip and a cross piece mounted at one end of the chute and extending in spaced relationship to the surface, transversely thereof. The apparatus also comprises a strut member mounted between the chute and the cross piece in substantial parallelism to the latter, whereby a carrier strip may be disposed to extend along the surface, bend sharply around the strut and extend back along the surface so that labels are separated from the strip as the latter is pulled longitudinally. The cross piece is provided with curved lip means extending outwardly therefrom beyond the end of the chute for guiding a separated label toward an object and facilitating application of the label to the object.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will be more closely described in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a dispenser apparatus embodying the principles and concepts of the instant invention; and

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged view of one end thereof.

The label dispenser of the invention comprises a flat guide chute 1 provided with an elongated slide surface 8 and guiding supports in the nature of spaced side walls 2a and 2b. Walls 2a and 2b are disposed on respective opposite sides of surface 8 and extend longitudinally thereof. Wall 2a extends substantially the entire length of chute 1 while wall 2b terminates in spaced relation ship to end 10 of chute 1.

A cross piece 3 is mounted on wall 2a at end 10 of chute 1. Cross piece 3 extends outwardly from wall 2a in spaced relationship to surface 8 transversely of the latter. A strut member 4 is also mounted on wall 2a at end 10. Member 4 is disposed adjacent to and somewhat under cross piece 3 and is thereby disposed between the latter and chute 1. Member 4 is substantially parallel to piece 3 as can best be seen in FIG. 2. Cross piece 3 is provided with two curved lips 5 which extend in an arc forwardly and downwardly from cross piece 3. Further, lips 5 extend outwardly beyond end 10 of chute 1.

The dispenser is used in the following way. A rolled carrier strip 6 for gummed self-adhesive label 7 is rotatably mounted on wall 2a at bracket 11. Strip 6 is passed under cross piece 3 and forward over strut member 4, around strut member 4 and down on to chute 1 in a direction toward the opposite end of the latter. Carrier 6 is disposed to extend along surface 8, bend sharply around strut member 4 and extend back along surface 8 so that labels 7 are separated from strip 6 as the latter is pulled longitudinally. That is to say, when the portion of carrier 6 abutting chute 1 is displaced, for example with the thumb, in a direction away from strut member 4, labels 7 mounted On carrier 6 are loosened from carrier 6 and are passed forward toward end 10 of chute 1 under lips 5. By lightly pressing on the dispenser, each label 7 is pressed by lips 5 against an object such as is shown at 9, where they adhere. Thus, lips 5 serve to guide separated labels 7 toward an object 9 and to facilitate application of a separated label to the object. Manifestly, new labels can be advanced seriatim and secured in the same manner.

The label dispenser according to the invention can be varied arbitrarily within the scope of the following claims. For example the dispenser can be provided with a magazine for the carrier.

The complete dispenser is preferably constructed of one piece of plastic material, whereby it is cheap to manufacture. That is to say, piece 3 and member 4 are molded integrally with wall 211 of chute 1. This is made possible by the novel construction of the dispenser.

Iclaim:

1. A dispenser for separating self-adhesive labels from their separable carrier strip and applying the separated labels to objects, said dispenser comprising:

a guide chute including an elongated slide surface for the strip;

a cross piece mounted at one end of said chute and extending in spaced relationship to the surface transversely thereof;

a strut member mounted between said chute and said cross piece in substantial parallelism to the latter whereby a carrier strip may be disposed to extend along said surface, bend sharply around said strut and extend back along said surface so that labels are separated from the strip as the latter is pulled longitudinally,

said cross piece including curved lip means extending outwardly therefrom beyond one end of said chute for guiding a separated label toward an object and facilitating application of said label to said object.

2. The dispenser of claim 1 wherein said chute includes a pair of spaced longitudinally extending side walls disposed on opposite sides of said surface, said cross piece and said strut member each being mounted on one of said walls.

3. The dispenser of claim 2 wherein one of said walls terminates in longitudinally spaced relationship to said one end of said chute, said cross piece and said strut member being mounted on the other of said walls.

4. The dispenser of claim 1 wherein is included means on one of said walls adapted for rotatably mounting a rolled carrier strip and adhering labels.

5. The dispenser of claim 1 wherein said cross piece and said strut member are integral with said chute.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,222,242 12/1965 Ingalls et a1. 156-584 FOREIGN PATENTS 677,070 8/1952 Great Britain.

HAROLD ANSI-IER, Primary Examiner W. E. HOAG, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 156344, 5 84 

